booksonawednesday 's review for:

The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory

4.0

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

This has been a great book in the Tudor and Plantagenet series, and I really liked how the narrative was split between three characters, rather than just one. The events also take place over a period of 2-3 years, which is a short time span compared to the other books in the series, so it feels more fast-paced. Jane Boleyn was a fascinating character, particularly as she’s painted as practically evil in The Other Boleyn Girl. I felt more sorry for her than anything in this book, as like most of the female characters, her fate is at the whim of the men. Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard are probably the least well-known wives, but their stories and characters were compelling. In history, Anne has been labelled as ugly, but as only one of two wives who survived Henry, surely she is intelligent. I also could not believe how young Katherine was, being sentenced to death at only 16. It really is so shocking how vile and cruel Henry was as a king. Can’t wait to read the next one!